Check Yes Or No
by TheLovelyDanish
Summary: It started way back in third grade, when Eli was told to sit beside Nozomi Tojo. Songfic AU!


**A/N-I wanna give a HUGE thanks to my AMAZING beta and friend, CharmedMilliE-KarryMaster, who knows nothing about anime or Love Live, but agreed to do this anyway because she's an amazing friend!**

 **A/N #2- This is an AU! Songfic to Check Yes Or No by George Strait**

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 _It started way back in third grade_

 _I used to sit beside Emmylou Hayes_

 _A pink dress, a matching bow, and her ponytail_

 _She kissed me on the school bus but told me not to tell_

Eli stood silently at the front of the classroom, although her face was serious, she was feeing extremely shy and awkward internally. She had just moved to Japan from Russia, and despite being fluent in the language, she knew that it would be difficult to grow used to the customs in the new country.

"Everyone, please say hello to your new classmate, Ayase Eli," The teacher said sweetly. "I'm sure you'll make her feel welcome here in our class." Eli bowed politely, a blank expression on her face. "Ayase-san, you will take a seat beside Tojo-san." Eli nodded and walked over to her new seat beside the small purple haired girl the teacher pointed out.

"Kon'nichiwa,"" Nozomi said politely. She was in a pale pink dress, with a matching ribbon tied in her twin purple pigtails. "My name is Tojo Nozomi." She introduced, her green eyes shining brightly.

"K-kon'nichiwa Nozomi-chan,"" Eli said softly before sitting down in her seat. She didn't know what to say to the other girl, she was awkward and was never good at making friends. Other children back home often thought she was bossy because of her strong opinions and, even in Russia, she had trouble fitting in. Now, in a country she didn't even know that well, Eli knew she wouldn't fit in no matter how hard she tried.

"Eli-chan," Eli looked up from her desk and saw Nozomi standing beside her with a small smile. "Would you like to have lunch with me?"

"Um, sure." Eli nodded. She grabbed her lunch from her desk and followed Nozomi to the lunchroom with the rest of their class.

"Maybe after lunch we can play on the swings together in the playground," Nozomi whispered as they walked down the hall. Eli looked at Nozomi with a slightly surprised expression, she never had someone act so friendly toward her before. It made her wonder why. "Oh, do you not want to?" Nozomi asked, a frown forming on her face when she noticed that Eli wasn't responding.

"No!" Eli said quickly. She didn't want to express her shock at the kindness, so instead simply smiled. "I would like to play with you on the swings." The two girls entered the lunchroom and sat beside each other at one of the tables along with their classmates.

For the rest of the day, Nozomi and Eli were nearly inseparable, which was mostly because Eli had a hard time telling Nozomi to leave her alone. Even as they climbed onto the bus to go home, Nozomi grabbed Eli's hand and pulled her into one of the seats quickly so they could sit beside each other on the way home. Eli still was a bit uncomfortable with how friendly Nozomi was toward her, and how determined she was to be the blondes friend, however part of her was happy about it as well.

"Hey Eli-chan we're friends, right?" Nozomi asked seeming unsure as she looked at Eli with puppy dog eyes.

"H-h-hai" Eli muttered under her breath, not really knowing if she gave the right answer or not. However, the smile that appeared on Nozomi's face helped Eli know she answered correctly. The two continued to talk until Nozomi looked out the window and frowned.

"Oh, this is my stop," Nozomi said a few moments later, looking out the window at her apartment block. "Hey Eli-chan? Can I give you a kiss goodbye?" The eight year old whispered. She had seen her parents do it many times, and she wondered if friends could do it too.

"Um. I guess," Eli muttered, her cheeks turning pink. She had seen her parents kiss each other goodbye, and she always kissed her sister goodbye, so she didn't see why friends couldn't do the same.

"Just don't tell anyone. It'll be our secret" Nozomi winked, leaning over and pecking the blondes' cheek quickly before the other girl could change her mind. "Bye Eli." Nozomi giggled, running off the bus.

 _Next day I chased her around the playground_

 _Cross the monkey bars to the merry-go-round_

 _And Emmylou got caught passing me a note_

 _Before the teacher took it I read what she wrote_

"Nozomi!" Eli laughed brightly. It had been a few days since the blonde transferred into her new school, but she was starting to fit in quite nicely, although Nozomi was still one of her only friends, which she didn't mind.

"If you stop running away from me, I'll stop chasing you." Nozomi called out. Eli looked around the playground and ran by the monkey bars, however she was too busy looking behind at Nozomi to notice the student swinging across the monkey bars.

"OWE!" Eli cried, collapsing to the ground and clutching the side of her head where her classmate, Nico, just kicked her in the head.

"Oh no! I'm sorry, but next time you should look where you're going,"" Nico commented, crossing her arms over her chest, although she looked always from the crying girl guiltily. When she saw Nozomi run toward them Nico quickly ran away to the swings, scared that Nozomi was going to scold her.

"Elichi! Are you ok?" Nozomi asked quietly, kneeling beside Eli. The blonde was no longer crying but her face was wet with tears.

"My head hurts," she" She said teary eyed. "Does it look ok?" She asked. Eli moved her hand to reveal a tiny bump on the side of her head, and Nozomi looked at it for a moment.

"You look pretty as ever Elichi," Nozomi commented. "By the way, I need to tell you something." Nozomi whispered. Eli wiped her face and looked over at the purple haired girl curiously.

"I caught you!" Nozomi hugged Eli from behind, causing both girls to laugh brightly as Nozomi tackled Eli to the ground with a bear hug. For the rest of recess, they played on the slide until they heard a bell chime, indicating that they had to go back to class.

"Hey Elichi." Eli looked up from her math notebook and looked over at Nozomi, who was holding a small folded up piece of paper under her desk. "Here." Without looking up at the teacher to make sure she wasn't looking, Eli reached over and grabbed the note as fast as she could. The last thing she needed was to get in trouble. .

 **Elichi, Do you love me? Do you want to be my friend forever and hold my hand?  
Check Yes _ or No_  
Love, Nozomi**

Eli smiled at the note, but before she could answer it, the paper was snatched away from her hands.

"Ayase-san, there are no notes allowed! You may get this back after class," The teacher scolded lightly and Eli sighed. Seemed she had not been fast enough.. Nozomi looked at her book guiltily, ashamed that she got her friend into trouble, meanwhile Eli was upset she couldn't answer the note her friend gave her.

She guessed she would just have to give it back to her another time.

 _Do you love me do you want to be my friend_

 _And if you do_

 _Well then don't be afraid to take me by the hand_

 _If you want to_

 _I think this is how love goes_

 _Check yes or no_

"Finally, you two show up!" Nico scolded, her arms crossed over her chest as Eli and Nozomi strolled out onto the roof. "We can finally begin practice!"

"Sorry Nicocchi, we had some student council stuff to handle,"" Nozomi explained. "At least we're here now and we can practice"

"Ok everyone, lets'lets begin stretching" Eli told the group. For the next twenty minutes the nine girls of Muse stretched and warmed up, a comfortable silence fell over the group until Umi clapped her hands in attention.

"Ok Honoka, Rin and Nozomi, come. Let's practice that section you kept messing up yesterday." Umi told them in an authoritative voice. Eli sat in the shade on the blanket with the other girls, leaning back against the brick wall as her eyes fell on Nozomi. She looked so focused as she practiced, but always had a hint of a smile, especially when Umi scolded Honoka for messing up. Eli reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, opening it slowly and reading the contents with a soft look in her eyes.

"Are you gonna give Nozomi an answer finally or will I have to wait another 9 years?" Nico asked Eli, glaring at the girl. Eli locked eyes with Nico, shock written clearly on her face. Sure the note was signed, but how did Nico know how long she's had it? "I sat behind you in third grade remember? I saw her hand it to you and I even read it over your shoulder before the teacher took it away." She explained, as if reading the blondes mind. Eli's face softened at the explanation and she stared down at the note. "Tell me, what was your answer gonna be back then?"

"Yes," Eli whispered. "I would've checked yes, but that was years ago Nico!"

"So? Nothing between you two has changed right?" Eli shook her head. "So why would your answer?" Eli couldn't remember the rest of their practice, all she could think about was the tiny mark she made on the note in her pocket. It wasn't until nearly two hours later, when she was walking down the front path of the school to leave, that she had the courage to say something.

"Nozomi," Eli said in a soft voice. Nozomi looked at Eli curiously, since that was the voice Eli often used when she had something important to tell her. "I have something for you. Should have given it to you a long time ago." Eli pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and offered it to Nozomi. The paper looked winkled and worn, as if it was years old. She smiled at Eli, whose face was now a light shade of pink, and opened the note. Her mouth dropping when she read the words inside, words she hadn't seen or thought about in 9 years. The paper was wrinkled, and the pencil markings were starting to fade a bit, but Nozomi could still read it just fine.

 **Elichi, Do you love me? Do you want to be my friend forever and hold my hand?  
Check Yes _X_ or No_  
Love, Nozomi**

"I finally was able to answer your note," Eli said softly. Nozomi held the note to her chest, her shocked face staring at Eli. "In elementary school and middle school this is how someone would confess their love and ask someone to date. Is that still how love goes?" Eli looked at her best friend with hopeful eyes.

"Elichi," Nozomi whispered. She had no clue how to react, she had been in love with Eli since they first met, but she never thought in a million years her feelings would be returned. When Eli never returned her note that day all those years ago, she figured she either never got it back or she didn't love Nozomi. Either way, Nozomi had forgotten about it, but clearly Eli hadn't. "You kept it?"

"I got it back after class that day, but I didn't have a chance to give it back to you with my answer before you left. I kept it, waiting for the right time to give it back to you." Eli explained.

"So, you want to be my friend forever?" Nozomi asked.

"We've already been friends for 9 years, what's a few more?" Eli chuckled.

"And you want to hold my hand?" Nozomi asked holding out her hand as she said it.

"If you'll let me," Eli said taking the hand as she did."

"You love me?" Nozomi sucked in a breath.

"I always have," Eli responded. Nozomi broke out into a big smile, the same smile that always tended to melt Eli's heart whenever she saw it. She jumped over to Eli, flinging her arms around the girls neck and planting a kiss on her lips. Eli was a bit taken back by the sudden kiss, but quickly found herself smiling, her arms wrapping around Nozomi's waist.

 _Now we're grown up and she's my wife_

 _Still like two kids with stars in our eyes_

 _Not much has changed I still chase Emmylou_

 _Up and down the hall around the bed in our room_

"I'm gonna get you!" Nozomi yelled chasing after the child.

"Run Mama, she's gonna get us!" A tiny voice cried out with laughter.

"Oh no! We can't let Mommy get us. Lets go Yuuka!" Eli stopped and bent down low to allow her three-year-old daughter to climb up onto her back before taking off again in a light run. The toddler's purple braids bounced up and down as she laughed wildly.

"Gotcha!" Nozomi cried, pulling Yuuka off Eli's back and collapsing onto the couch next to her.

"Mama help! Mommy caught me!" Yuuka giggled brightly and tried to wiggle out of Nozomi's grasp. Eli, her face a bit pink from all the running, sat down on the other side of Yuuka and smirked at Nozomi.

"Well you caught her Nozomi, what do you think we should do with her?" Eli asked her wife. Nozomi pretended to think for a moment before gleaming mischievously.

"I think she needs some tickles," Nozomi told Eli.

"NO!" Yuuka laughed, wiggling free and darting away quickly from her moms'. Nozomi laughed and shook her head playfully before getting up and chasing after her daughter. Eventually Nozomi caught the little girl and was spinning her around as they both smiled and laughed wildly. Eli, who was still sitting on the couch, watched on with delight as her two favorite girls laughed and played together, a sight that never got old.

"Huh?" Eli muttered, she looked over and saw two arms reaching up from a basset in the corner and a small voice crying inside. "Did Mommy and Onee-chan's craziness wake you up Kirito-kun?" She cooed to the baby as she cradled him in her arms.

"What's this card Mama?" Eli looked over and was surprised to see Yuuka sitting quietly on Nozomi's lap at the table, looking on as Nozomi started flipping her beloved tarot cards. She never understood how those two could go from being crazy and silly one minute to being quiet and attentive the next. "It's really pretty."

"Well that card is The Lovers," Nozomi explained. As she watched the two Tojo women talk about tarot cards and their meanings, Eli couldn't wrap her head around how she ended up so lucky.

 _Last night I took her out in a white limousine_

 _Twenty years together she still gets to me_

 _Can't believe it's been that long ago_

 _When we got started with just a little note_

"Nozomi, I can't see anything!" Eli complained.

"That's kinda the point Elichi." Nozomi laughed as she led the blonde out of their house. Eli was thoroughly confused, since Nozomi hadn't told Eli anything about what was going on. All she knew was Maki and Nico showed up at their house to babysit Yuuka and Kirito, then Nozomi told her to go change into something nicer and finished off with wrapping a blindfold around her eyes before they left the living room.

"Ok, you can take it off now,"" Nozomi whispered in her ear. Eli heard the sound of a door opening and pulled the blindfold off her head. Parked right in front of her was a beautiful white limousine, and from the open door she could see how beautiful and expensive the inside looked.

"Nozomi, what is this all about?" Eli asked her quietly. "We can't afford this"

"Oh hush!" Nozomi grabbed Elis hand and kissed it. "Can't a girl spoil her wife?"

"Nozomi," Eli whispered, a smile of defeat on her face. Beaming, Nozomi pulled her into the limo before she could resist more. "Why are you doing all this?" She asked curiously as her wife poured them each a glass of champagne.

"You don't know what today is do you?" Nozomi chuckled handing Eli a drink. As Nozomi sipped her glass Eli wracked her brain to try and remember what was so important about this day. Neither of her children were born, nor was it their wedding anniversary and she knew it wasn't any of their friends birthdays. "Oh my clueless Elichi" Nozomi set aside her glass and grabbed a square box from under the seat.

"What's that?" Eli asked, setting aside her undrunk glass and grabbing the present from Nozomi. On the wrapping paper was simply the words, Happy Anniversary Elichi. "Anniversary?" She whispered. "Our Anniversary isn't for another three months."

"Open it and you'll understand," Nozomi said quietly. Eli looked down at the gift and slowly unwrapped it, careful not to get the limo dirty with wrapping paper. She opened the white box to reveal a picture frame, inside of which was a handwritten, crumpled note. Suddenly the memory of a small blonde girl, standing in front of a new class, flew into Elis mind. "The day we first met." She whispered.

"Yep, it was twenty years ago today. I can probably say it was the fourth best day of my life," Nozomi explained.

"Only the fourth best?" Eli said seeming upset it was not higher.

"Well the kids births are one and two and our wedding is number three." Nozomi shrugged. "Just like you did, I kept that note, waiting for the right time to give it to you" Eli placed the frame next to her on the leather seat and caressed Nozomi's cheek with her hand.

"I love you Nozomi," Eli whispered.

"I love you too Eli,"" Nozomi smiled and leaned in, kissing the woman she's loved for the last twenty years and hoped to love for the rest of her life.

 _Do you love me do you want to be my friend_

 _And if you do_

 _Well then don't be afraid to take me by the hand_

 _If you want to_

 _I think this is how love goes_

 _Check yes or no_

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 **Comments make my world go 'round! The more you leave, the faster I'll write more oneshots!~**

 **Forever &Always,  
Kimmie**


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